Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

What if the waves said, "NO?" Luke 8:24 When Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves on the sea of Galilee, they obeyed Him and there was calm.  I got to thinking: What if the waves said, "NO?".  What if the wind refused to stop raging? Everything changes.  He's not the creator.  He's not the Author.  He doesn't have AUTHORity.  He doesn't have the power over s...

Marveling isn't faith. (almost is!) Influenced Luke  8:25 Marveling isn't faith.  Marveling is ALMOST faith.   Fear isn't faith.  Fear is ALMOST faith. Jesus rebukes wind water and bunch of disciples. WHERE is your faith? what location? what object? what person?  This is a good interaction in scripture.  Jesus demonstrates mastery and authorship of wind and water and somebody notice...

Rebuking the (out of order) Creation Luke 8:24 There is stuff to like about creation.  How nice to have lakes and sunshine and seasons.  But today's creation sometimes needs to be REBUKED.  Why?  Well because creation got caught up in man's sinfulness, at least in the CONSEQUENCES of man's sinfulness.  It got cursed, through no fault of its own.  It groans.  It is out of order.  It...

Sailed. Sleep. Storm. Perishing? Luke 8/22 Is Jesus really Master?  Sailing with Jesus who is sleeping. He is human and tired.  That is amazing enough.  He came all the way down to tiredness to show us Himself and eventually to save us from sin and death.  But for today what about this storm?  And by extension, what about heart attacks and cyclones and novel viruses?  Why does He allow it?  Isn&ap...

Who is my FAMILY. Luke 8:21 Jesus here redefines and emphasizes the group.  Who does He consider "family"?  Those who have thought Him out of his mind?  Worthy of seizing Him to stop Him?  Or, those who hear Him with good and honest hearts, good soil and then do what He says. It is a disturbing answer.  Who are my people?  Listen and find out.

God is INFINITELY knowable. Luke 8:18 Somebody puts a lamp on a stand to be seen.  In the context here, I think it is GOD lights it, places it, and then reveals HIMSELF with effect.  The parallel passage says abundantly. God here practices "Spiritual Capitalism".  The people who have taken care how they HEAR, and receive with an honest heart, get the revelation of Himself.  then, they ge...

Ready to be sought. Ready to be found. Luke 8/10 To some it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom.  Is this a new concept.  Is this a last quarter plan of God.  Nope.  Isaiah talks all about it. Look up for sure Isaiah 65:1 On one hand, God is Hidden.  But only in the way one is hidden when you play the game hide and seek.  I have grandchildren.  When we play Hide and seek, we don&apos...

Is He a Secret Keeper/Revealer God? Luke 8:10 What kind of a God do we have?  Is He a secret KEEPER or a secret REVEALER?  and, how have things changed over the millennia? Listen as we honor and admire the secret things of God.

Hold it Fast. One hand for the King. Luke 8:15 British sailors during the tall ship era frequently had to climb into the rigging and then do something while they were up there.  Without holding on, their work would be fruitless.  They had a saying that went something like, "One hand for the queen (for work) and one hand for yourself (for holding fast)" How do we do effective spiritual &q...

Watch your "SOIL" Luke 8 :15 The Lord is compassionate and good.  He has given us ears to hear.   And then He charges us with receiving and caring appropriately with what He gives us.  Active hearing.  Letting.  Allowing.  Having good heart. Holding it fast.  Having an honest heart. Fight the thieving Devil. Don't just receive with joy. watch the cares of the world.  Don't be c...

To You it has been given to Know Luke 8/10 The parable of the sower and the seed and especially the soil. There is a lot to worry about in this passage from Luke 8:10.  You've got Bird and moisture problems and big feet trampling and short-lived enthusiasm and choking and thorns.  Kind of makes you wonder why you got out of bed this morning.  Kind of makes you wonder why you got out of bed th...

What is God's Purpose for me? Ps 138/8 I was wondering what is God's purpose for me.  Wouldn't it be cool to know what His purpose and purposes for me are?  If I could only know!!! Then I got to thinking.  I think I know a few things.  I think I DO know God's purpose for me.    Listen to find out God's Purpose for me. It might just be for you too.

STRENGTH of SOUL big ASK Join me as we do a BIG ASK today from Psalm 138.  Recently, we have heard the Lord's invitation to ask, seek, and knock. Give us, lead us, and deliver us all from Luke 11.   We are using the words of David to jar our spiritual eyes to ourselves and those around us. Listen, pause if you need to, and do the big ask with me for the STRENGTH OF SOUL for...

Math Equation of Strength of Soul. Ps 138:3 Hidden in Psalm 138 is a MATH EQUATION on how you get to Strength of Soul.  It is such a beautiful phrase.  Who wouldn't want that?  Who wouldn't at least hope for that?  More than wishing, Psalm 138:3 tells us how to actually get there. Here is the equation: Intentionality + Trouble + Calling + Answering = Strength of Soul Listen and understan...

Praying Psalm 138 My first impressions is the trouble that David is in amidst the context of Psalm 138.  We hopefully will get to the good and faithful character of God, but first: YIKES.  Yikes in every way.  Dependent. Needful. Troubled. Let's just go with that for a morning and put that on the Lord's plate in Prayer. Listen to pray this time:

Susanna lily Provida Luke 8:3 Luke hall of fame of the women who had encounters with Jesus.  They got relieved of their oppressions of actual demons or actual infirmities.  Then, they demonstrated their right world view and redemption by what they did with their lives and with their money and resources. They understood it was all from the Lord.  He gave the ability to create wealth. Then they gave...

Joanna. Hero you've never heard of. Luke 8:2 Joanna is a hero of the faith.  In a sense, your faith, rests on her faith.  The person who witnesses to you, was witnessed to by someone else x 110 generations. Right at the beginning of that chain we find Joanna.  She PREDATES the apostles in faith!  Wow.  Who is this giant? Why it is Joanna.  It is almost like Jesus is saying:  If you are a woma...

Mary Magdalene!!! at the cross! Luke 8:2 This person is the #1 person at the suffering, crucifixion, un-crossing, burial, provision of spices, early going to tomb, witness of resurrection, and disciple telling.  Other than Jesus, she is the most constant, MAIN FIGURE of the cross! Scripture never ceases to surprise and delight.  Listen!

A God AT HAND. Ps 121 and Deut 30:11 Do we have a God that is nearby? What does He have for me? Is it too hard? Is it knowable? Listen and find out!

How do you get STRUCK by the MOON? Ps 121/6 Sometimes a ½ of a Scripture verse catches my eye or my ear. How do I get STRUCK by the moon.  What am I not understanding here? I had to study a little bit.  I don't usually do that for these messages (as you probably can tell).  Usually I just meditate, consider and communicate.   So, I learned a bit on what it means to be STRUCK BY THE MOON.  It...

Psalm 121Good question,answer and good fellowship We look again at the speaking character of Psalm 121. In this psalm, we find the psalmist asking a very good question and then giving himself a good answer. But he/she is not alone.  He/she is with the LORD and with people who need the Lord. Do you believe that the Lord attends? do you have people to walk that walk with? Listen if you will:

The Character and Characters (people) of God Ps121 8 verses of in-your-face reality:  The reality of who God is.  Thank goodness for that. Also, the reality of who we are.  What we are like.  What we feel.  What happens to us in the daytime?  What happens to us in the nighttime?  Who can I look to? Am I alone people-wise? Am I alone cosmically?  What weakness and doubts do I have to speak against?...

Look to Him, run, Anti-Cling Heb 11/1 We watch and maybe are watched by a bunch of witnesses (not saints, sorry.) But here is the trouble:  We are WEIGHTED by sin, and we have a race that we are supposed to be running in. A distance race. One that will require ENDURANCE.  This does not make you my friend.  This just makes you human. If you have Struggled against sin, and worked to lay it aside, th...

Wisdom of God workin Don't Hinder. Last of Luke 11 In a reclining rebuke of Jesus to the scribes, we hear of a sovereign WISDOM OF GOD that has been at work in the prophets.  This is from the last of Luke 11.  Unfortunately, we are responsible for knowing, believing and acting on that wisdom.   Also, a particular missile is fired about HINDERING those around us.  This is scary and unwanted, b...

For the LOVE of GOD touch the BURDEN Luke 11:46 Jesus comes over to dinner and drops some woes on your head.  But you deserve it.  You have totally missed the point of His relationship with you.  You made the classic external vs. internal error.  Jesus calls you to fix the internal, for His love, and then fix the outside. OK, so I get the interior right.  How can I enact the right internal relatio...